Protect the Natural Lands You Cherish
Improve the quality of all life by preserving the land, air and water in West-Central Indiana.
Concerned
Are you concerned that the land where your most cherished memories were made will be lost?
Vulnerable
Are you vulnerable to poorly planned growth and development that is dominating your surroundings?
Worried
Are you worried about the quality of life for you and your family?
Frustrated
Are you frustrated by the lack of natural spaces that are open to the public?
We are too.
Read the Latest News
2024 Annual Report
Dear NICHES Friends,
“A little niche here, little niche there” is adding up to nearly 5,000 acres! We are delighted to present you with this annual rep...
Rooted in the Wildcat
In the early 1960s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed constructing three reservoirs in the Middle Wabash region by damming the Wildcat, Big Pi...
The Acorn E-news: June 2025
Check out the June 2025 Edition of The Acorn e-newsletter for volunteer opportunities, upcoming events, and updates from NICHES.
A Seed of Change: The Start of NICHES Land Trust
20th century environmental conservation efforts in our community fought for decades to prevent dams on the Wildcat and Big Pine Creeks, with success w...
Join us to preserve and protect
the land where you live.
We understand what it's like to worry about the loss of special places.
It’s alarming to see more and more land taken over by parking lots, big box stores, and housing developments. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
At NICHES Land Trust, we provide direct and tangible ways to improve the very community in which you live by protecting and preserving our most valuable asset – the natural world that’s right around us.
Cherished memories of time outdoors with our children, parents, and grandparents are indelible parts of our lives. When we walk in the woods, sit under a shady tree, smell wildflowers, cast a line in glassy waters, or paddle down the river with friends and loved ones, we connect with who we are and our place in the world.
Protecting our natural areas ensures that we’ll still have places to hike, bike, boat, fish, explore, daydream, witness wildlife or just enjoy the quiet and peace of nature.
See All NICHES PropertiesYou deserve a trustworthy way to protect your natural surroundings.
Since 1995, NICHES has been protecting, restoring, and sustaining West-Central Indiana’s ecosystems by providing habitat for native species and offering natural places for education, appreciation and enjoyment for current and future generations.
Land entrusted to NICHES is free and open to the public all year long. The properties are cared for through NICHES stewardship in perpetuity. We are an accredited land trust and perform an external audit annually.
With a full-time staff, dedicated volunteers, and generous donors, NICHES is fully equipped to protect and maintain our most valuable assets, always and forever.
NICHES exists because of the support of people, foundations and businesses that care about their surroundings. We do not receive support via taxes from the county, state or federal government.
Contribute to a cause you believe in.
Join Us!Be Proud
Be Purposeful
Thrive
Help natural habitat and native species thrive.
Improve
Improve the quality of life for all.
Enjoy
Enjoy the outdoors.
Engage
Engage in protection, restoration and stewardship.
Leave a Legacy
"I couldn’t be happier after getting in touch with Gus and NICHES. It feels very good to leave something in Jim’s name because he was such a giving, generous person."
— Gretchan Vacendak
You should be able to live among healthy landscapes.
All you need to do is:
Learn
Learn more about NICHES and the properties we steward. We're local, we're neighbors.
Join
Join a thriving community of people who are caring for the land where we live.
Share
Share the fun and good work with your friends and family.
